Acetylene-generator.



E. R. ANGELL.

AOBTYLENE GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

lviinesseb Derry,

EDMUND B. AiweELnor BERRY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

AGETYLENE-VGENERA'IZ'OR.

: Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29,1914.

Application filed August'5,1907 SerialNo.3-87,215.

To all'whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDMUND ANGELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at in the county of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Acetylene-Generator, of

. whichthe following is a specification.

It belongs to that class of acetylene gen-- erators known as carbid-feed, in which 'calcium carbid, in small quantities at a time, is automatically dropped into water.

The object of my mvention is to produce 'a". carbid-feed acetylene generator, which elther admits no air, or the least possible amount of it during recharging.

, The means for holding the two. arts to gether are completely described an claimed in another application Serial No. 616025,

.filed Mar. 21, 1911." This application treats the generating chamber as rigidly. att h d to the body 0 the machines i The figure is a sectional elevation of the device.

.A and B, represent two concentrically located hollow cylinders, and C, the gas holder floating in liquid in the annular space. between them. v

The annular disk D fastens the two cylinders together and forms the bottom of the gas holder seal.

E is the carbid'chamber, formed partly by the upper part of the cylindrical Wall B, and has a. frusto-conical bottom with its larger'end fastened to said wall roundabout and its smaller end downward and open for the mouth.

F is a conical stopper adapted to be drawn up into the mouth of the hopper to close it against the passage of carbid, but fitting loosely enough for gas to pass easily'either way. 'It is attached, at its vertex, by a ball and socket joint to the lower end of the rod G. This rod is suspended, at its upper end, from the central part of the transverse lever 'H by the pivot I. The lever H is fulcrumed at J to the support K, which, in turn, is fas tened to the side of the carbidchamber and extends inwardly to'the center.

S is a guard sleeve, rigidly fastened to the sup ort K.

is a perforated disk lying upon the topor hopper. It is is within the into the hopper.

sleeve, taking the swaying motion of the rod sliding .throughit; The weight L is pivot ally suspended from the short arm of the lever H at M.

the upper part of the upright pipe N, which a is fastened tightly in the outer edge. of the bottom of the hopper, and extends downit'connects with the service pipe 0. Thus the pipe N serves bothas'aguide for'the weight L and part of the per into: this'pipe by the sides of the support K and its cover R. The gas, after generation, passes from the generating chamber up through the space between the loosely fitting stopper and the hoppers mouth. Thence through the interstices between the particles of carbid, where it is dried. It then passes down through the pipe N into the,

service pipe 0. p I is a drip-guard to preventcondeiisation of moisture from running down the side' of the hopper towet and impede the feed.

:U is a friction wheel on the long [arm of the lever H adapted toroll on the lower sur-' face of versel screwhas a coarse thread to hasten its travel. It worksin the nut X, which is secured in the top of the gasholder, so that when the screw is turned down completely most of it gasholder; and when the screw the disk V, which is attached trans- 'is turned'up to its full extent most of it is without the gasholder,

Y is the knob for turning the screw and .Z is packing between it and the nut to secure a tight joint. v D A' is a nipple fixed in the top 'of the gasholder through which carbid is introduced B is the cap which closes are I p guide rods for the gasholder. They are supported by attachments on the at the topof the gasholder seal; and

This weight hangs down in gas channel. Car ldis prevented from falling fr h hop,

to the end of'the screw.W. This.

- The rod G passes 1 fwardly just below the gasholder seal where packing ring between the cap gaging the rods.

E E are guide arms on the gasholder en- 18 a rack on the gasholder.

H is a thumb screw threaded through the hoop F and the wall of the tank A to. engage the rack. The service of the screw and rack is to put the machine out of operation by suspending the gasholder, should it ever be desirable; and thereby enable the operator at any time to learn whether the hopper contains much or little carbid, or to introduce more before all is exhausted.

- A is the generating chamber formed b the extension downward of the cylinder X which is sustained by the gas pressure when.

said valve'is open. This construction provides a trap, so that, duringthe removal of residuum, neither gas can escape from the 1 machine nor air enter it.

C is a water supply pipe, entering the generating chamber through the opening D. The top of D is not farther from the bottom of the chamber than is the inner end of the drain pipe B". This construction also provides a trap to prevent the escape of gas or ingress of air.

E is a rod within the pipe C, bent out- .wardly at the top to form .a handle, and,

inwardly at the bottom to carry the agitator blade F. It turns in the supports G" G,

which are attached to the wall of the chant ber. 4

The machine is put into operation as follows: It is placed u on a level foundation and connected with t e piping of the building. A vent-cock the service pipe is opened to allow escape of air. The gasholder seal is filled with liquid. The generating chamberis filled with water poured through the water-supply pipe C". The screw W is turned up to close the feed. It is to be noted that when the gasholder and disk V, are in their lowest osition, the long arm of the lever H is, fully depressed and the mouth of the hopper wide open. But when the disk V is in' its highest position, the long arm of the lever H is fully elevated, although the gasholder is in its lowest place, and the stopper F closes the mouth of the hopper. With the hopper closed, carbid is introduced into it, and the-cock in the service pipe is closed. The screw W is then turned down. As the disk V engages the friction wheel U to depress the long arm of the lever H, the stopper F, is partly removed from the mouth of the hopper,'carbid falls into the water of the generating chamber A, and gas is generated, causing the gasholder to rise, so that the disk V, although in its lowest position relatively to the top of the gasholder, is above contact with the lever H, and the conical stopper, forced into the mouth of the hopper by the action of the weight L, prevents the fall of more carbid.- The burner cocks along the line of piping are now opened. As the mixture of air and gas escapes, the gasholder settles, again bringing the disk V against the wheel U to depress the lever. This continues till enoughcarbid falls into the water for the resulting gas to raisethe gasholder and stop the feed; This process repeats. As soon as the air isremoved from the machine and system of piping so that the gas burns brightly, the cocks areclosed,

The method of recharging does not require the machine or the piping to be vented.

Practically, no air enters the machine during' recharging and no gas escapes, except what the carbid displaces when it is poured into the hopper. The effect of air mixed with the gas, is to dim the lights. My invention prevents this very annoying and wasteful trouble, which is usually incident to recharging. No air has to be admitted to allow the residuum to flow out, since gas .is generated to" take the place of it. Herein is a distinguishingmerit of my invention.

lVhen recharging is necessary, the gasholder is completely down. Recharging with carbid is first inorder. The screw W is turned up to allow the feed to close and the carbid is introduced in the manner described. Then the screw'W is turned down so that the evolution of gas will raise the gasholder. .Then the sediment in the generating chamber is stirredup by means of the I agitator. The draw-ofi' B is opened. .As the residuum flows out, the gasholder descending, forces gas through the space around the loosely fitting stopper F into the generating chamber vA", the disk on the end of the screw W engages the wheel U to depress the long arm of-the lever H, the feed opens, carbid drops, and gas is generated to occupythe place of the receding residuum, so that it can continue to flow out. After all the residuum has run out, which the trap formed by the drain pipe will permit, the draw-off valve is closed. The .generating chamber is refilled with water in the manner described. The introduction of water displaces the gas, which causes the gasholder-to rise to make room for it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by-Letters Patent:

1. In an acetylene generator, a floating gasholder and generating chamber, in combination with mechanism for feeding carbid into water, consistingof a carbid hopper with a frusto-conical bottom,'the small end being downward and open for the mouth;-

a conlcal stopper adapted to be drawn into said mouth'to close the feed; a'transver-se lever within the upper portion of the hopper, extending diametrically across it with its fulcrum upon a support projecting inwardly from its attachment to the side of said hopper; a rod attached at its lower end to the vertex of the conical stopper, pivotally suspended at its upper end from the.

middle part of said lever, and working vertically in'the axial line of the hopper; a guard sleeve. and disk-like cover therefor, through which said rod work's, protected thereby from interfering contact with carbid, the guard sleeve being firmly fastened to the fulcrum-support of'the lever, and the disk-like cover free to move laterally on the.

top of'said sleeve with the swaying 'of the rod; a weight pivotally suspended from the short arm of the lever and working vertically in an upright pipe, which is tightly fixed in the outer edge of the bottom of the hopper and forms part of the gas channel; and a friction wheel on the end of the long actuate the feed. r

2.; In an acetylene generator, a floating gasholder and generating chamber in combi- "nation with mechanism for feeding carbid into water consisting of a carbid chamber, or hopper, with a frusto-conical bottom, the small end being downward and open for the -mouth; a conical stopper adapted to be drawn into said mouth to close the feed; a

transverse lever within the upper portion of the hopper, extending diametrically across it with its fulcrum upon a support projecting inwardly from its attachment to the side of said chamber; a rod attached at its lower end to the vertex of the conical stopper, pivotally suspended at its uppcrend from the middle part of said lever, and working vertically in the axial lineeof'the hopper; a guard sleeve-with a disk-like cover therefor, to prevent the carbid interfering with the motion of said rod which works through them, the. guard sleeve beingfastened to the fulcrum-support of the'lever and the disklike cover being free to move on the top of said sleeve with the swaying of the rod; a weightpivotally" suspended from the short arm of the lever and working vertically in an upright pipe, which is fixed inthe outer edge of the bottom of the hop er and forms part of the gas channel; a riction wheel on the end of the long arm of the lever adapted to receive motion from the gas holder when nearly down to actuate the feed; a screw wprking vertically through a nut secured in the top of the gasholder, a

.said lever,

convenient knob being provided for turning the screw with packing between it and said nut; a disk fixed transversely on the end of said screw and adapted to engage said friction wheel to depress the long arm of said lever when said screw is turned down, andto be raised from contact therewith when the screw is turned up,- said mechanism constituting means for putting the gasholder in and out of control of said feeding device. g

' 3. In an acetylene generator, a floating gasholder and generating chamber in combination with mechanism for feeding carbid into water, consisting of a carbid chamber, or hopper, with a frusto-conical bottom, the small end being downward and open for the mouth; a conical stopper adapted to be drawn into said mouth to close the feed; a transverse lever within the. upper portion of the chamber, extending diametrically across it withits fulcrum upon a'support projecting inwardly from its attachment to the side of said chamber; a rod pivotally suspended at its upper end from the middle part of and Working vertically in the axial line of the hopper; a ball and socket joint at the lower end of said rod connecting it to the vertex of the conical stopper Wheres by said stopper seeks the place of least resistance to close the feed; a weight pivotally suspended from the short arm of the lever and working vertically in an upright pipe which is fixed in the outer edge of the bottom of the hopperand forms part of the gaschannel; and a friction wheel on the end of the long arm of the lever adapted to re ceive motion from the gasholder when nearly down to actuate the feed.

4. In an acetylene generator, a gasholder; a generating chamber; an annular gasholder seal; mechanism for feeding carbid into water consisting of a carbid chamber formed by the upper part of the inner wall 'of said annular seal and a frusto-conical bottom, the small end thereof being the mouthbf the chamber; a lever within the' chamber and extending diametri across it and fulcrumed to a rigid support projecting from the side of the chamber; a rod pivotally suspended from the middle part of said lever; a conical stopper adapted to close the mouth of said chamber; a ball and socket joint which attaches said stopper to said rod; a guard sleeve fastened to said rigid support and through which said rod works vertically; a perforated disk lying upon the top of said sleeve through which said rod also works, and which moves laterally on the top of said sleei e with the swaying motion of the rod; a Weight suspended from the short arm of said lever and a friction wheel on the end of its long arm; in combination with means for putting said feeding mechatop of the ca ly pressed to. open the feed, orallowed to rise by the influence of said Weight to close it at wilL. I EDMUND R. ANGELL.

nismin and outzof control ofthe gasholder, consisting of a nut rigidly fixedin the top thereof, a screw working vertically through said nut and top of gasholder; a. disk trans 5 versely fixed on the end of the screw within Vitn'esses:

.the gasholder and adapted to engage said WILLIAM F. MORSE, friction wheel, whereby the lever may be de- CHARLES G. 'KIMBALL. 

